Thanksgiving Recipes…A Flashback

Just in case you're searching around for great recipes for Thanksgiving, here are some recipes we've posted on our blog over the past year that you might want to include in your feast this year.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Cake

Thanksgiving Bread Stuffing

Pumpkin Dip

Sweet Potato Casserole

Day After Thanksgiving Casserole

Apple Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treats

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Also, check out the activies, crafts, and gratitude ideas to make your holiday even more meaningful.

The Gratitude Chain

Blessings Overflowing

The Thankful Tree

Thanksgiving Bingo

Thankful for You Notes

A Book of Thanks

The Blind Side

Enjoy your holiday!

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Homemade French Fries

When it comes to mealtime, I'm all about quick, easy, tasty, and healthy. More and more, I'm steering away from the processed foods and trying to make things as natural, but yummy, as possible.

One of my favorite simple, but oh so tasty dishes is homemade french fries. They'll take you all of 5 minutes to prepare but can bring a lot of zest to a meal.

1. Slice potatoes into thin wedges, leaving the skins on for added nutrition.

2. Spread a thin layer of olive oil on a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet.

3. Place potatoes in a single layer on the olive oil and brush olive oil over the top. The amount is up to you. I use it sparingly. If you prefer no oil, just spray lightly with cooking spray.

4. Sprinkle with salt and other seasonings as desired. My personal favorite: McCormick's Grill Mates Roasted Garlic and Herb.

5. Bake at 450 for 20-30 minutes until desired crispness.

6. Enjoy! These go great with anything grilled...grilled chicken, maji maji, a turkey burger, you name it!

Happy Eats!

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Cook Now, Eat Later: Freezer Meal Plan Week 1

This week, we’re going to work on the chicken meals. We’re going to make Chicken and Brown & Wild Rice Soup, White Chicken Chili, and Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, as well as shredded chicken for future meals. If you have questions about storage, see last week’s post.

Depending on how many meals you are planning on making, you’re going to need a lot of chicken. I generally fill a large CrockPot to the brim with chicken and that gives me enough for all these meals. Keep in mind, though, that there are 3 more meals requiring chicken as well as freezing whole chicken breasts or tenders so you’ll need more chicken…

Step 1: CrockPot your chicken breasts in 1/2 cup water and some salt and pepper for 7-9 hours until they shred easily with tongs.

While that is going on, put together the broth and ingredients for the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and White Chicken Chili and put the pots on the stove. (I didn’t end up doing it, but you can also start a broth for Chicken Noodle Soup at this point.) Start simmering!

Once the soups are simmering, get together the ingredients for the Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and have it ready for when the chicken is done.

When the chicken is cooked and shredded, add it to your soups and the enchilada mixture and finish the recipes. Reserve about 6 cups shredded chicken to put in quart size ziplock bags for future meals. Put about 2 cups per bag.

For the soups, when you’re ready to eat, just thaw, heat, and serve. We generally serve the wild rice soup with rolls and the white chili with tortilla chips and cheese. Be sure to also thaw the enchiladas before baking. We serve the enchiladas with a side of spanish rice and pinto beans.

CHICKEN & BROWN AND WILD RICE SOUP–Double this recipe

2 cups shredded chicken
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups diced onion
1 ½ cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp thyme
1/8 tsp nutmeg
½ cup wild rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups cooked brown rice

Combine all ingredients, except brown rice, in stock pot and simmer until carrots are tender. Add brown rice and stir well. Store in gallon size ziplock bags. Lay flat to freeze.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI–Double this recipe

1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbs garlic powder
3 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cups shredded chicken
6 cups chicken broth
2 cup water
2 tsp lemon pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans
2 (9 oz) pkg. frozen petite white corn

Mix seasonings in a stock pot and cook in olive oil until onion is tender. Combine all other ingredients in pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour. Serve alone or with cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS–Double this recipe

2 cans cream of chicken soup (or make a homemade chicken cream sauce)
8 oz. sour cream
2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles
1 28 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce
½ lb. Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
2-3 cups shredded chicken breasts
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas

Mix the two cheeses together; set aside 1 ½ cups for later.

1st mixture: Mix the soups, sour cream, green chiles, one half of the can of enchilada sauce, and cheese (except 1 ½ cups already separated out).

2nd mixture: Separate 2 cups of 1st mixture and add remaining enchilada sauce.

Coat the bottom of pan with 2nd mixture. Add chicken to the 1st mixture and spread some down the center of the tortilla. Wrap tortilla around mixture and place in pan, crease down. Continue with remaining tortillas. Cover all tortillas with what remains of the 2nd mixture and spread 1 ½ cups of cheese on top of that. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly.

Posted in All Writers, Budgeting, Challenges, Cheri, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Family, Food, For You, Goals, Health & Weight, Money Saving Tips, Organization, Organization, Pregnancy, Recipes, The House, The Moms | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Apple Handles for little hands

My 3 year old likes to eat whole apples. But she tends to eat straight through them, disregarding the fact that they have an axis of sorts. She gets to the core, and she's done with it, even though there's the other half of the apple to go. It's too messy at that point to turn it over and try to hold it and eat the other side.

She also doesn't want to listen to me explain that the ends of the core are indented and not to start there. Consequently it's even harder to hold it, since she's bitten off where I'm trying to get her to put her thumb. Besides, her hand is much too small to hold the larger apples I tend to buy.

So we put corn holders into the ends of the core, and she ate all around that big thing several times. Worked like a charm, and she thought it was great fun pretending her apple was corn on the cob.

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Many Thanks to All of Our Veterans!

Happy Veterans Day!! My favorite holiday is Independence Day. I love the patriotism, the fireworks, the fun, the food, and the family. I look forward to it all year. But, a holiday that often goes far too unnoticed is Veterans Day. If it weren't for it and all the Veterans we celebrate, I'm sure the 4th of July wouldn't be nearly as incredible.

And, so this Veterans Day, I invite you and your kids to do something for a Veteran. Do you know a vet? If so, send them a card, make them cookies, give them a call and say "Thank you". Don't know one? You can easily make cards, letters, pictures and send them to a Vet that doesn't get as much support through www.amillionthanks.org.

Or perhaps you can even do more. Have room in your heart for a pet? Volunteer to care for a soldier's pet while they are on duty. Or give blood to wounded soldiers.

Whatever we do, let's make sure we thank those who have made it possible to celebrate our independence we hold so dear!

Happy Veterans Day!! And THANK YOU to all those who have served.

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Cook Now, Eat Later: A Plan for Freezer Meals

As you may or may not know, I'm expecting a baby. In fact, at the time I'm writing this post, I am about 2 weeks from my due date. However, by the time you read this, that baby had better already be here! I'm trying to get a jump start on some posts during the holiday season as well as during the transition period after having a baby when I know blogging isn't going to be my top priority.

In anticipation of this baby's birth, I decided to make a bunch of freezer meals that I could use on any day. Days where I was too busy, too tired, too overwhelmed, too distracted, too behind, or just plain too unmotivated to cook. Or, when I'd rather be spending my time being with my family than making dinner.

Here's a list of the meals I finished this time around:

Lasagna 2 Trays
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup 2 Bags (7 Cups each)
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas 3 Trays
Beef Stew 1 Bag (10 Cups)
White Chicken Chili 3 Bags (10 Cups each)
Chimi Chicken 3 Bags (3 Cups each)
Italian Chicken 2 Bags
Meatloaf Muffins 17 Muffins
Sweet Pork 1 Bag
Cranberry Porkloin 3 Bags
BBQ Chicken 1 Bag
Navajo Tacos 1 Bag
Chalupa Beef 1 Bag
Pepperoncini Beef 2 Bags
Sloppy Joes 3 Bags (2 Cups each)
BBQ Meatballs 1 Bag
Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole 2 Trays

I also got plain meats cooked and separated so I can use them for a last minute meal, or even for a meal that takes all day but I don't want to worry about cooking the meat.

Plain Shredded Chicken 3 Bags
Plain Ground Beef 2 Bags (3.5 Cups each)
Plain Shredded Pork 3 Bags (4 Cups each)
Chicken Breasts 3 Bags

So, obviously, in order to do this amount of frozen meals, I have a large deep freezer that was practically empty before and is now full. In addition to all these meals, I also have a large variety of breads as well as some desserts I've frozen (like Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and Double Chocolate Cake).

Even if you don't have a large deep freezer, you can still get some meals made ahead of time to cut down on your daily work. I've even heard of people making several meals on Saturday and then keeping them in the fridge to eat throughout the next week, instead of freezing them. That works too.

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a plan to make all those above meals and meats so you can take the time when you feel like it. I know this isn't the most relavant topic for the holidays, but maybe you'll find a recipe you want to use this time of year, even if you don't freeze it.

As for how to package your meals for freezing, I use gallon size Ziplock freezer bags for my soups, quart size freezer bags for meats, and I bought 30 large aluminum casserole trays from Sam's Club for $6. Way cheaper than buying them at Walmart or even the dollar store. And they are BIG. Big enough for lasagnas, enchiladas, etc. Cover with two layers of tin foil to protect against freezer burn. I write with a Sharpie on the bags or on the tin foil I use to cover the trays so I know what is inside, when it was made, and how long to cook it. Here's an example (of course...my luck, without the date):

When you're ready to freeze the meals, lay the soups and meats flat so they can be stacked when frozen. For the trays, freeze on a level surface and then stack them when they are frozen.

Now you're ready to start cooking!

Posted in All Writers, Cheri, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Family, Food, For You, Goals, Organization, Organization, Recipes, The House, The Moms | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Better Than Cream O’ Soup

In an effort to eat healthier and less processed foods, I've been avoiding using canned, condensed Cream O' Whatever Soup in my cooking. But as so many recipes use it as an ingredient, I now have a substitute that is dairy free, gluten free (yes, they put gluten in the canned soups), a bunch of other stuff free, and replaces those things with vegetables and whole grain. I know! It's almost too good to be true! And it's cheaper than canned soups. What keeps it real is that you do have to prepare it ahead of time--but then you can keep can-sized portions in the freezer and pull them out as needed. I know! A small price to pay for all the advantages.

Here is what I've been using:

cauliflower, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, brown rice, bullion, garlic, potato

1/2 head of cauliflower, steamed
1 zucchini
1 potato
1 onion or 2 T. minced dried onion (or some onion powder)
some mushrooms (optional)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 or 2 cups broth (depending how thick you want it)
1 tsp. minced garlic or 1 clove
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper, or a few grinds

optional suggestions:
mushrooms
celery
cooked chicken

Coarse cut the vegetables (except the steamed cauliflower) and saute them in 1 Tbl. or so olive oil. You can skip this step, but it gives the soup a fantastic flavor. (Such that I enjoyed it for lunch right out of the blender before freezing what was left for the original purpose.) Add the spices to the saute pan as well. When they are limp, toss them into the blender with the rest of the ingredients.

Blend them well and whah-lah you've got yourself your own Better Than Cream O' Soup!

A can is equal 1 1/3 cups, so I measure 1 1/3 cups into a sandwich baggie or 2 2/3 cups into a quart sized freezer bag and store them flat in the freezer. Even if I have a bag with two "cans" of soup in it, I can defrost it slightly and break half of it off to use just one "can" worth. Wow it looks so good, I could eat it right out of the carton.

Wait, wrong stuff--ignore the carton on the left. Definitely not dairy free or packed with veggies and whole grains.

I've used it in standard recipes like chicken/broccoli/rice casserole, chicken enchiladas, noodle casseroles, and soup as well as others I'll introduce you to later. And if the kids take a microscopic helping of vegetables on the side, you can just smile and know that if they eat the main dish, they're getting their cruciferous vegetable in!

P.S. The soup will be greenish if you don't peel the zucchini--your preference

(Later the obvious dawned on me--use a yellow summer squash instead of the zucchini)

Posted in Allergy Free, Cooking Tips and Tricks, Food, Gluten Free, Health & Weight, Money Saving Tips, Recipes, Sunny | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Home Cure for an Ear Infection

As cold weather settles into much of the country, ear infections and subsequent trips to the doctor increase as well. Far too often, my kids complaints of ear infections seem to come just as I tuck them into bed...long after the doctor's office has closed. I would tuck them into bed, give them a bit of tylenol and reassure them that we would get some medicine in the morning. Too often, that gave them little comfort through the night.

Then, last winter, I got a taste of their pain. I got an ear infection late on a Sunday night. I never knew they could hurt that much. Suddenly, my sympathy for my kids went way up! Unable to tolerate the pain, I scoured the internet for anything I could do at home. I had hoped to find something that would dull the pain until I could get to the doctor. What I found, however, appeared to be a home remedy cure. What's the magic? Garlic. Plain old Garlic from the grocery store.

It worked wonders. Within 15-20 minutes, the pain subsided completely. By morning, I had no signs of an ear infection. It never returned.

Last week, my son suddenly came down with a low grade fever and complained of an earache. I grabbed my garlic and got to work. Within 10 minutes, he felt great and said he was all better. Still, just to be sure, I had him use garlic through the night and by morning he was fine.

Two nights later, however, he complained of pain in his other ear and the fever came back. Again, I went to the fridge, grabbed some garlic and got to work. Same results...he was healed with no run to the doctor, no antibiotics and the resultant digestive problems. Just plain old garlic.

Here's how to do it:

1. Cut up garlic into small slivers, approximately the width of the ear canal you will be placing it into. The smaller the child, the skinnier the wedge.

2. Warm the garlic in the microwave until warm but not hot enough to burn. I start with 10 seconds and continue in 5 second intervals until I get the right temp. It is so important to NOT burn your child's ear canal. It is obviously a very sensitive area.Better to err on being too cool than too hot.

3. Place the garlic in a thin layer of gauze. The only purpose of the gauze is to allow you to easily pull the garlic back out. The more contact the ear canal can have with the garlic itself, the better. So keep the gauze thin.

4. Place the garlic, wrapped in gauze, in the ear canal. Have the child lay on their opposite ear, with the infected ear facing upwards to assist the garlic in staying in the ear.

5. Replace garlic periodically as it cools until all symptoms are gone. I like to continue garlic treatment for at least 12 hours since pain can be gone long before the bugs are.

Now, why does this work? Garlic is a natural antibiotic and pain killer.

So, next time your child comes down with an ear infection, hopefully this little tip may just do the trick.

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Capturing the Laundry Monster

Ever have those "duh" moments, when you get an idea that seems so simple that you wonder why it took you this long to think of it?

Since children have entered my life, so has the LAUNDRY MONSTER. And it grows and grows with each child. And, especially with being a working mom, it starts to take over my bedroom!! Clothes everywhere!!!

AAHHHH!! It's the Laundry Monster!

Do you have a Laundry Monster at your house? Here's a really simple tip: Get yourself a nice looking chest, one that would look nice in the room. Dump all the laundry into it and close the lid.

Laundry Monster Captured

Then you only open up the chest when you have time to fold (or when your children fold their clothes)

Peace and Cleanliness reign once more

Goodbye, scary Laundry Monster, Welcome back, bedroom!

Posted in All Writers, Heidi, Laundry | Leave a comment

We’re Raising Kids, Not {Fill in the Blanks}

Several weeks ago, my husband and I were getting things ready for a little road trip we were taking to pick up our girls from grandma's house. We wanted to bring a movie for them to watch in the car, but to our surprise, we could find no DVDs in their cases. We knew the culprit...our almost 2-year-old. We asked her where they were and she led us to the carpet...where we found about 10 of our new DVDs, all face down. After examining them, we found most of them had deep gouges and were ruined. We could hardly get upset with that sweet, adorable, innocent face, but it was very disappointing to realize our entire kids' DVD collection was ruined. (Yes, we have very few DVDs.)

When I related the story to Kerri, she told me of Janae's experience which (correct me if I'm wrong) went a little something like this. Instead of 10 DVDs, it was their case of DVDs...perhaps all of them which would be many more than 10. Instead of hiding them under the carpet to be walked on for 3 days, it was a little child scraping them on the sidewalk. Wow. Yeah, I didn't feel so bad about it after that.

But what was more impactful was when Kerri reminded me of an important cliche I had heard before. She said, "We're raising kids, Cheri, not DVD collections." She told me a story about someone and their truck getting run into a ditch--raising kids, not trucks. I read another story about a kid running the lawn mower straight thru the flowers--raising kids, not flower beds.

It reminded me of a time when I got in a car accident and my dad said, "It's a car, Cheri. It can be replaced. How are YOU doing?" Or the time when three weeks later, Kerri backed dad's new car into the aforementioned car which had just come back from the shop. Or the time when I was just barely 16 and didn't quite get the car out of the garage unscathed. All I got from dad was "When can you help me fix it?"

I'm grateful for the reminder that very little else matters when it comes to our children. Everything material will fade, break, pass, burn out...but the saddest would be if our children's confidence, self-worth, or understanding of our love for them faded, broke, passed, or burned out. Sure, it's expensive to replace a DVD collection, a well-pruned garden, or a farm truck, but it is much more difficult to repair a child.

The next time your child destroys something that CAN be replaced (or even that can't...Grandma's china?), because it is inevitable and part of childhood (and teenager-hood...how many of us sisters crashed our parents' cars?), just remember, we're raising kids, not {fill in the blanks}.

Posted in All Writers, Challenges, Cheri, Children, Difficult Child, Discipline, Family, Relationships, The Moms | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments